Infantile Methemoglobinemia Caused by Carrot Juice

THE toxic threat of nitrate contained in commonly ingested vegetables has recently been reviewed.1 Concern has been stimulated by reports of methemoglobinemia in German and French infants after ingestion of spinach puree2 and carrot soup.3 In the following case cyanosis developed after ingestion of fresh carrot juice by an American infant.Case ReportA 2-week-old black male infant (S.L.C.H. 72–6245) was taken to the Emergency Room because his grandmother had noted that his lips and nail beds had a "dark color." In the previous 24 hours he had consumed 500 ml of carrot juice. Fever, diarrhea, lethargy and the administration . . .